I decided to cap the year with some of my favorite examples of dry humor. So to continue from yesterday, I'd like to present the film: Stranger Than Fiction:
You might be thinking, "Will Farrell? Really? Are you kidding?" Don't worry. This is, without a doubt, my favorite role he has ever acted. When you take a comedian and put him/her in a serious role, it is almost guaranteed to be dry humor. (I don't have a good explanation as to why, it just happens.) Well, Will Farrell is great as Harold Crick in Stranger Than Fiction. He is the painfully inept soul of an IRS auditor. It is masterfully dry humor. I highly recommend this film.
The following is an expert from a dialogue between Will Farrell (the IRS auditor) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (the small business owner). It still makes me laugh:
Harold Crick: It says, in the file, that you only paid for part of your taxes for last year.
Ana Pascal: That’s right.
Harold Crick: Looks like only 78 percent.
Ana Pascal: Yep.
Harold Crick: So you did it on purpose?
Ana Pascal: Yep.
Harold Crick: So you must’ve been expecting an audit.
Ana Pascal: Um, I was expecting a fine, or a sharp reprimand.
Harold Crick: A reprimand? This isn’t boarding school, Miss Pascal. You stole from the government.
(Harold pesters Ana more here, but I’m trying to keep the post within reasonable length.)
Ana Pascal: Listen, I'm a big supporter of fixing potholes and erecting swing sets and building shelters. I am *more* than happy to pay those taxes. I'm just not such a big fan of the percentage that the government uses for national defense, corporate bailouts, and campaign discretionary funds. So, I didn't pay those taxes. I think I sent a letter to that effect with my return.
Harold Crick: Would it be the letter that beings "Dear Imperialist Swine"?
If this isn't funny just from reading it, then you might try watching the movie (after all, if you recall from yesterday, dry humor is all in the delivery).
There is another scene (which I do not have the dialogue for) in which Emma Thompson asks a nurse at the hospital where all of the dead people who won't get better are located. It is also very funny in context.
Again, I highly recommend the movie Stranger Than Fiction for a good dose of dry humor. (I think I'm going to watch my DVD right now, as a matter of fact.) :-)
2 comments:
I have seen this movie, and the first time I saw it , i thought it was shit, but then when I watched it again, i was like, what was I thinking, this was freaking funny!
amberlashell.com
I loved this movie, but I also think it's one of those movies that you either love or hate. There's not much middle ground. I thought the humor in this movie was so clever, but a lot of other people told me they didn't like it, possibly because they just didn't "get it." And, I can definately see that perspective. This movie comes with a specfic type of humor, and really, you either "get it" or you don't.
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